Non-stop Talkers

Here are the questions filed under this category. To read Ken's advice on any item, click on the link "Read Ken's Answer."

Several of us are going to a conference, and a few of us are driving our own cars. The problem is that the woman that I am supposed to take does not stop talking. I don't know how I will be able to handle two hours in the car with her. Do you?
Read Ken's Answer

I have a new subordinate in training who interrupts me and asks questions about the very thing that, had she waited, would have been explained to her. When I am speaking with other employees, she will interrupt. I have tried talking over her, but she speaks louder and louder and will not stop. When I am quietly working, she will blurt out statements to me from across the room. Help!
Read Ken's Answer

There is a person in our office who is always talking out loud about the chores she is completing, whether she is filing papers, entering data on the computer, or rearranging her desk. It is a little distracting, and a little strange, and we are not sure if we should say something. What do you think?
Read Ken's Answer

I just interviewed an applicant for a sales position who talked for almost the entire interview. He was articulate and had plenty of stories, and he has the gift of gab. The other managers who interviewed him were impressed, but I was not because he did not know when to stop talking. What's your take on this?
Read Ken's Answer

One of my employees leaves extremely long voice mail messages for me on my cell phone and land-line. These messages can last up to five minutes and cover details that are simply not necessary. I have told her to keep her messages brief, and she says she will try, but this happens almost every day. How do I get it to stop?
Read Ken's Answer

When I arrive at work, I start working immediately and get a lot done. How can I politely deal with a co-worker who comes into my workstation every morning, plops in a chair across from me, and starts talking and talking about herself and her family? I have given her some clear hints, but she does not leave.
Read Ken's Answer

One of our better sales reps suggested we interview an acquaintance of his for an important sales position. Several of us met with this applicant individually, and then we all went to dinner with him. In both meetings, I found him to be loud, opinionated, and hardly listening, but everyone else thought he was great. They all said this guy is a born salesman. I have real doubts. What can I do?
Read Ken's Answer

I try to finish my work around 6:00 p.m., but one of my fellow employees drops by my cubicle almost every day at 5:45 p.m. just to talk. He plops down in a chair and usually stays for 20 or 30 minutes. How can I put an end to this? I have dropped some hints, but he keeps talking.
Read Ken's Answer

When I ask one of my employees even the most basic question, I always get a long-winded answer. I donít want to be rude and interrupt, but I donít have all day to listen to her. What do you suggest?
Read Ken's Answer

When I walk into my managerís office, he stands up. I know this is polite, but it makes me feel uncomfortable. He rarely sits down when I am there, and this cuts our conversations short. I donít think I should just take a seat, but maybe then he would get the hint. What do you think?
Read Ken's Answer

Every day, two or three employees drop into my office to talk about topics that are rarely urgent. I tell them I am busy, but they sit down. They say they only need a few minutes, but thatís rarely the case, so I fall further behind. How can I deal with these interruptions?
Read Ken's Answer